2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.
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The Heckling Hare (1941)
Directed by Tex Avery
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Bob McKimson
So this is it, the penultimate Tex Avery/Warner Bros. animated short, before he’d move over to MGM and continue his iconic animation work. Avery’s animation at MGM is in a league of its own, and he really did bring a lot to the medium. During his time at Warner and Looney Tunes, he also managed to contribute a lot to Bugs Bunny and the Merrie Melodies cartoons in general. He’s easily one of the greatest animators, and this is the apparent production that led him to part ways with Leon Schlesinger after “All This and Rabbit Stew.”
Bugs is being chased again, this time by a dog named Willoughby. The clumsy mutt is incredibly stupid, literally falling for Bugs’ cons again and again. Bugs becomes a bit overconfident in his dealing with the dog, though, and finds himself falling for his own tricks. In the end, cartoon logic wins out over the laws of gravity–or does it? According to sources the original ending for “The Heckling Hare” featured Bugs and the antagonist Willoughby dropping through the first holes, and after the extended scream takes, they fall through a second set of holes, and then a third set of holes.
Their fate is left uncertain as the short closes on them falling together. Allegedly Leon Schlesinger and Tex Avery had a big dispute about this ending, and Schlesinger ordered that the climax be cut. The one that is in circulation to this day is where Bugs and Willoughy drop for a long period of time, only for them to skid on gravity and land safely on the ground. Bugs then remarks “Fooled ya, didn’t we?!” Cue Looney Tunes circle. This apparently made Tex so angry that he then leverage for a position at MGM and left Warner altogether. The original ending was created but left on the chopping room floor, and apparently no known clips of the footage exists to this day. Apparently animation buffs and film historians are still seeking out the mythical alternate ending.
The rest is animation history, of course. While the Looney Tunes did suffer a big loss (this was his 55th animated short at Warner animation and his 5th Bugs Bunny short), Avery did manage to offer up one last gem for audiences with “Heckling Hare.” He also went on to MGM to create the iconic Droopy Dog, one of my all time favorite cartoon heroes. Truth be told, while I’d never argue with Tex Avery, the new ending for “The Heckling Hare” is so much better and works toward the overall wacky tone of the short. Willoughby and Bugs are adversaries in this short, but they almost come to an understanding in the final scenes where they survive the massive fall.
The extended scenes of them falling down to the ground, grasping on to one another for dear life is still one of the funniest moments of the Bugs Bunny shorts. I remember laughing so hard when I first saw this as a child. There’s so much to like in this short, from Bugs’ introduction with his ears, the game of funny face they play with Bugs breaking the fourth wall, and the swimming scene where they pursue each other in a nearby pond. I also have to appreciate willingness to even go a little dark, too. When Willoughby is reaching for Bugs through a tree hole, Bugs places a tomato in his hand and the dog squashes it.
Convinced he crushed his head, he mourns him, bawling his eyes out. Willoughby is a one and done Bugs Bunny villain, but one whose whole shtick would be repeated in future Bugs Bunny shorts. The dog usually would play sidekick to folks like Elmer Fudd in future shorts, giving them more of a rationale for hunting Bugs Bunny. “The Heckling Hare” is such a great step in the right direction despite its pretty sordid back story with Tex Avery and Leon Schlesinger.
Then there’s “All This and Rabbit Stew”… oh boy…
Find out what we think are the BEST and WORST Bugs Bunny shorts of all time!